I was talking with some coworkers once when another coworker came up in conversation. One of the guys let it be known that he did not like this other coworker. He relayed a story of one incident that formed his opinion. I stated that I had never had any trouble with him, but he doubled down on his opinion. He had a concrete opinion on the other coworker because of one incident.
Most of us have heard the expression that you only get one chance to make a first impression. This is a very true statement. There is something else though that many overlook. Every time you speak and every action you do puts your reputation on the line. You can make such an impression in one instance that you change someone’s opinion of you forever.
This is important because we should have a good reputation among others. We all want a good reputation. It’s just natural to want others to think well of you. Another thing to consider is that our reputation can affect if others will listen to us about Jesus. I have known people personally that have told me of Christians that they did not like. This caused them to not want to be around them nor did they want to hear anything they had to say.
Paul when giving qualifications for a position in the church had these words to say. He must be well thought of by outsiders (1 Timothy 3:7 ISV). Paul understood how a person’s reputation could affect his witness and the overall church. We don’t want anything to hinder the spread of the Gospel. We don’t want to have our reputation affected by one act. We must always pay attention to how we act and what we say so that you may win the respect of outsiders (1 Thessalonians 4:12 ISV).
Proverbs 22:1 NET A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth, good favor more than silver or gold.